Anything or Any Thing?

What Is the Difference between "Anything" and "Any Thing"?

home▸confused words▸Anything or Any Thing?

The Quick Answer

The pronoun anything means a thing of any kind. (Of note, the word anything is far more common than any thing.)

The two-word version (any thing) is used:

When emphasizing you are referring to an object (as opposed to a person, animal, or idea). For example:

You can hide the ball inside any thing. You cannot give it to a person.

When there is another adjective between any and thing. For example:

Tell me any little thing you like.

When using things. For example:

Any things left unattended will be removed.

Anything and Any Thing

There is often confusion over anything and any thing.

Anything

Anything (one word) is a pronoun that means a thing of any kind (i.e., a thing, no matter what it is).

Examples:

Positive anything is better than negative nothing. (Elbert Hubbard)
When the sun is shining, I can do anything; no mountain is too high. (Wilma Rudolph)
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. (Albert Einstein)

Any Thing

The two-word version (any thing) is used to emphasize that you are referring to any object, as opposed to any person, animal, or idea.

Examples:

If any thing is sacred, the human body is sacred. (Walt Whitman)

Any thing

any one thing

You may not take pictures of people, but you can take a picture of any thing.

In the term any thing, any is an indefinite adjective modifying the noun thing. If there are any other adjectives modifying thing, then you need any thing as opposed to anything.

Example:

Every movie is like a little company, and any little thing can ruin it. (Ryan Kavanaugh)

There is no such word as anythings. Therefore, if things is plural, then you need any things.

A Quick Test

Help Us To Improve English Grammar Lessons

Do you disagree with something on this page?
Did you spot a typo?

Please tell us using this form.